I like to ski, I like astronomy, I like rural living and children and animals and I love my wife. I'm not a complicated man, but I live on a very screwy planet, people wise. I am beset with a brain that comes up with outside-the-box observations, and ideas about improving things, and, if I have a "mission" in life, it is to share these, which typically show up after a good night's sleep.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

My system for transit utilizes a personally owned passenger compartment, and state owned (or private companies meeting standards) engines, steering, powertrain, wheels, and guidance system. The passenger compartment mates with the other half the same way a camper mates with a pickup, except with more connections.

For long distance travel, the compartment is popped off the powertrain assembly and plunked on a flatcar like railcar with enough room for a passageway to restrooms, bar/dining/workspace cars,etc. Each flatcar holds many passenger compartments. Roadways and track gauge would be widened.

The powertrains would rent for different rates, depending on power and comfort desired.

You want to drive for fun in a gas powered vehicle you drive? Great, we have courses for that, but they are not cheap. It's a game like golf, high maintainence.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

A Republican and a Democrat are on a high hill, overlooking a vast plain, and they both see what appears to be a wall of bushes growing across the valley below, broken hither and yon by clumps of trees.

Beyond the giant hedge appears to be a land of Democracy, wealth and happiness. A road appears to go down to the wall, and on beyond it to the land of milk and honey.

They both start riding down the slope, and as they draw closer they notice the wall seems higher than they thought. They ride onwards.

Getting closer they still see bushes, but now the bushes are beginning to look more like gnarly vines, covered with ivy, and stretch even ominously higher.

At this point the Democrat will say, "let's stop and check this out carefully. The Republican will say, "no let's ride onwards, we've already determined that the wall is just a bunch of bushes, and we'll pass through easily."

The ride onwards. Soon it is apparent to the Democrat that the giant hedgerow actually conceals an underlying wall of titanium stones, and that it is sheer folly to continue to gallop towards it at full speed. The Republican, however, continues to do just that. Once he had decided on anything, he is incapable of changing his mind, as that would prove he wasn't made by God and therefore infallible.

The Democrat continues to process new information constantly, and changes his position as new data becomes available. Republicans seem incapable of doing so. They rather be Right, even if it means being DEAD. Or run over as road kill by the Global Economy and Global Warming.